1969 International Labour Organization
‘Patiently, undramatically, but not unsuccessfully’
By Nuchhi R. Currier for the Chronicle
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The words si vis pacem, cole justitiam—if you desire peace, cultivate justice—represent the fundamental moral idea on which the International Labour Organization (ILO) is based. And the 1969 Nobel Peace Prize to the UN agency is a tribute to its success in translating this idea into action.
Created in 1919 following the social and political upheavals of the First World War, ILO was honoured on the fiftieth anniversary of its founding—11 December 1969—in recognition of its work, grounded in the preamble to its constitution, which states that "universal and lasting peace can be established only if it is based upon social justice". ILO Director-General David Morse, in his acceptance speech on behalf of the agency, summed up its characteristic approach: "In spite of the political calamities, failures and disappointments of the past half-century, it has patiently, undramatically, but not unsuccessfully, worked to build an infrastructure of peace."
The profound economic and social changes caused by the age of industrialization resulted not just in unprecedented growth in Europe but also in creating a large and vocal industrial working class, often at odds with the ruling classes. Alfred Nobel himself feared a social revolution, warning in 1892 of the dangers of a "new tyranny … lurking in the shadows" and its threat to world peace. Frédéric Passy, winner of the first Nobel Peace Prize (1901), also called for social reforms as a foundation for international stability and peace.
A product of reformist and socialist thought in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Europe, ILO succeeded in becoming an instrument for cooperation and dialogue between workers and their Governments, providing an important meeting ground for the various actors. Helping to defuse "dangerous explosives in the hidden depths of the community", ILO has given the world the concept of industrial dialogue. The shifts in the international political balance after the Second World War provided the impetus for an expansion of its aims, and in 1946 ILO became the first specialized agency to become associated with the United Nations.
In its initial stages, the main task of ILO was to build a bridge between the rich and the poor within individual countries. Its constitution created the concept of "tripartism", which fosters dialogue between Governments, employers and employees to resolve disputes and promote improved labour conditions. Under its auspices and guidance, trade unions and employers' organizations acquired cohesive and effective voices. After the Second World War, its mission evolved beyond national boundaries to building bridges between rich and poor nations, facilitating cooperation on issues related to trade and labour.
The Centre for Advanced Technical and Vocational Training is a valuable ILO initiative that operates within local limitations in each country. It strengthens developing countries by providing them with the resources, technical and managerial know-how, and institutional and administrative framework essential for modern nationhood and peace-building. It has permanently influenced the social welfare legislation of every single country, making valuable contributions to international law.
The major focus of the agency is on the adoption of international labour standards dealing with child labour, protection of women workers, hours of work, rest and holidays, social security protection, housing, occupational safety, protection of migrant workers and adequate minimum wage. It also has a mandate to provide technical cooperation to assist developing nations with the ultimate goal of creating a world employment programme, as well as standard-setting and technical cooperation backed by extensive research, training, education and publications programmes.
Working in tandem with other specialized organizations, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the World Health Organization, with financial support from the United Nations, the ILO carries out research projects in developing countries in agriculture and industry, with the main objective of tackling chronic issues of unemployment and underemployment. It assists in agrarian reforms, agricultural projects, industrialization, public works, the development of training and vocational guidance programmes, choice of investment possibilities and development of trade, etc.
From an original aim of international legislative function to protect workers against exploitation and unjust working conditions, ILO has evolved into a vehicle that promotes effective measures guaranteeing basic human rights, such as freedom of association, freedom from forced labour and discrimination, and the achievement of economic development.
"All human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity … it is the responsibility of ILO to examine and consider all international and financial policies and measures in the light of this fundamental objective." These words, contained in the ILO Declaration of Philadelphia, established the interdependence of economic and social policies, and that the two are inextricably linked to peace. |
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